Beet-harvester.



J. T. CARROLL.

BEET HARVESTBR. APPLICATION mum MAY is, 19m.

Patented May 18, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WI 'I'NEEEEE wmf J. T. CARROLL.

BRET HARVESTEB.

APPLICATION FILED my 13, 1901.

922,084. Patented May 18. 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

4s 45 48 V I 47 44 45 4o 49 J5 7 WFI'NEEEEE: WEN-FDR WZQ'M 7 MM I Arww.

UNITED sTAtrns PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES Ti CARROLL, 0| BILLINGS, MONTANA,

BEET-HARVESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909 Application filed May 13, 1907. Serial No, 373,207.

cation.

state of the art. however, have numerous defects and disadvantages which the 'a apara'tus hereinafter described is designed to eliminate.

The practice universally followed is to produce the roots in rows conveniently spaced to facilitate cultivation and the implements employed to harvest the crop take the form 0 plows. diggers, shovels and other similar mechanical contrivances which have 8.0 'far proven unsatisfactory for varions'reiasons although resenting a marked improvement. over han labor. One cause of trouble lies in the failure of certain classes of diggers to gather the smaller roots thus causing, a considerable percentage of waste. Other' machines do not complete the process of toppinr with sufiicient accuracy and with non-at justahle knives some to s are-cuttoo close to the root and others letttoo long. In other cases the digging i'ziplements have only one function so that auxiliary machines must be employed to complete the allied processes of ceaning and top )in which materially increases the time and lalior required to prepare the roots for the market.v

In my improved beet harvester as here inaftcr described the various mechanisms court in such a manner that the different processes are carried outin the same machine and follow each other in close and proper sequence to attain the best results.

The chief ohject-i of my invention are to provide a beet harvester that will be so efiicicnt in its operation that the smaller roots will he gathered with as much certainty as those of larger size; to furnish a beet gailu-rcl' that will eli'ectually remove the l'fllb from the roots during the processof harvesting; to arrange coiiperatin" mech- 'nnism in conjunction with the eevating process that will remove the adhering soil from the roots and leave them in the proper condition for the factor and to provide means for sepzu'atingthe roots from the severed to as.

Other o jet-ts of my improvements are to produce a beet harvesting machine that will facilitate the gathering of the product by furnishing carriers for the separated to )s and roots so arranged that, they will be eposited in separate windrows parallel to the course of the machine across the field; to provide means forvarying the distance between the deposited windrows and the machine; and to arrange the mechanism so that such deposiis may he made upon either side of the machine as desired.

Further objects of my invention are to provide means for elevatin the operative mechanism clear of the soi to permit of readily transporting the ap Jaratus and to facilitate turning at the on s of the rows; to furnish nicclnuiism for clearing the picknp wheels of the. severed tops and prevent. them from becoming clog ed therewith; to arrange shifting levers for throwing the carriers in and out of gear, and to furnish elevating appliances that will facilitate the deposit of the gathered and prepared roots in a cart or Wagon driven parallel with the machine during its operation.

I accomplish the above and other minor resultsgenerally speaking, by means offa main truck frame and an auxiliary frame to which is attached the principal operative mechanism, which consists of disk colters for loosening the soil, im a ling mechanism for extracting the roots rom the loosened earth. cutting knives for severing the tops,-

and carriers and elevators for distributing the roots and tops in separate locatigns The necessary mechanical construct on. for

carrying out my improvements is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings w 'ich form a part of this specification and'in which: Figure 1 is a perspective yicw of m i imroved beet harvester with, the-auxiliary rame in its elevated position; Figa fl and t} are top and bottom plan views, respectively; l ig. 4 is a front elevation of the brackets carrying the knife frame with at tachments; Fig. a side elevation of one of the colters with support; Fig. (i is a plan view of one of the knives; Mg. 7 is a perspective view of the swinging arm and adjusting thigers; Fig-.15 is a cross section taken between the conveyors and with the elevator attached to main frame. Fig. 9 is a view showing method of hanging pick-up wheels. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the pick-up wheel and knife.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 10 indicates the side members of the main frame of the harvester supported on ground wheels ll, 12, the rear wheels 11 constituting the driving wheels for operating the carriers and elevator hereinafter described, and the front wheels 12 mounted upon an axle pivoted to the frame by a king bolt in the ordinary manner, to serve as guiding wheels, the said wheels being of small diameter so that they may pass under the main frame to enable short turns to be made at the ends of the rows. A ton ue 13 is provided for the attachment of draft animals, although mechanical power such as a motor mounted upon the main frame and supplied with gearing connection with the driving wheels inlhe usual manner may be substituted therefor.

Within the main frame is located an auxiliary frame 14 rectan 'ular in form and somewhat smaller than t m frame 10 so that the former may have a vertical movement. Said auxiliary frame is composed of longitudinal members 14 connected by. cross ieces 15, and is suspended from the main ranie by crank shafts 16 journale'd in bearings 1'7, 18, secured to the auxiliary frame and the main frame res eetively.

Projecting vertically downward from the under side of the auxiliary frame is an arm 19' to which is secured one end of a link rod 20, the forward end being attached to an elevating lever 21 pivotally connected to the main frame, and locatedat oint convenient to the drivers seat 22-. hen the auxiliary frameis inits lower position traction made upon said link rod 20 by means of the lever 21 will cause said frame to be drawn forward and at the same time olerated by the rocking movement of the crank shafts 16, thus throwing the soil loosening implements hereinafter described, entirely free from the ground. Upon the auxiliary frame members 14 are stepped uprights 23 which support brackets 24 the latter being strengfhened by triangular plates 25. The said rackets constitute a framework for supporting certain of the operating mechanisms to be set forth in detail hereinafter.

Fixed to the under side of each longitu dinal member 14 of the auxiharylframeis a bracket 26 which carries a revolwble disk or colter 27, journaled on an arbor 281. The arbors of the alternate disks are inclined in opposite directions, so that the disks of each pan are set at an angle of about 45 degrees with a vertical plane. These disks are arranged to travel beneath the roots so that the beets in each row are included in the angle between each pair of said disks, and the latter sever the roots at a proper distance below the surface and at the same time serve to loosen the soil about the boots.

Arranged to revolve above each row of beets are the gathering or pick-up devices in the form of drums or wheels 29 which revolve on axles 30 journaled in slides 30 working in slots 23 in the upri hts 23." The faces of these wheels are stud ed with pins or spikes 31 preferably arran ed in rows in which the spikes are uniformly spaced as many of such rows bein sup lied as may be necessary to cover the ace 0 the wheel. These wheels are designed to travel along the surface of the ground and the function of the spikes 31 is to im ale the roots as they are loosened in the soi by the action of'the cutting disks 27, pick them up as the wheel revolves and carry them over the wheel to the topping knives 32. The said pick up wheels as well as the cutting disks 27 are caused to revolve automatically by their contact with the ground as the machine is propelled over the field. Each of the pick-up wheels is furnished'with one of the knives in the form of a late having slots 33 corresponding in mun er with the rows of spikes in the wheel face'thus splitting the knife plate into tines or blades 34, having pointed ends 35,.the margins being beveled to form cutting edges 36. The blank ed e of the plate is furnished with holes 37 or screws which secure the knife 'to a cross piece 38 of a knife frame the lateral members 39 being received in vertical grooves 40 formed in the brackets 24 and having a limited movement therein. The ointed ends .of the blades lie in close roxnnity to the face of the pick-up whee but the position of the knives relative to said wheel face may be varied by means of adjustin arms 41. There are two of these arms or each wheel which pass through and are journaled in brackets or flanges 42, 43, which depend from a swin ing arm 44: pivoted by a bolt 45 to a cross ar 46 supported by each pair of brackets'24. Said swm ing arm 44 is yieldingly held in the median inc of the wheel by plate springs 47 secured to the sides of' said arm and enga 'ing stops 48 fixed in the said cross bar 46. he rear ends of the arms 41 are bent'outwardly, downwardly and rearwardly to form adjusting fingers 49 which have also a lateral inclination as illustrated. --The forward ends of said arms are bent downwardly and then lingers and will force them a art thus repiece, face of the wheel. and clear the s ikes-pf volving the arms 41 in their comings and causing the cranks 50 to raise the knife frame so that the knives will cut the tops 'on a higher plane, top When the roots are large. As soon as the top is seyered the knife frame descends can-yin the knife back to its initial position. he function of the swingin arm 44 is to insure an even movement of t e crank arms 50 when a beet is impaled near the edge of the wheel. In such case if the arm 44 was ri id only one arm 50 would act 11 on the sliding knife frame and there woul be a tendency to bind in the slide-Ways. With the arrangement shown, however, the engaement of a root with one of the fingers wi 1 cause the-arm 44 .to swing over to that side, and thus equalizing the action of the said cranks, and adjusting the knife as before to the various sized roots. In'order to insure. a quick return of the kni'fe'to its initial, position the cranks 50 are connected by a spring 54,. The knives are preferably placed with the beveled edge down and the sharp points enable them to enter with -greaterfacility the shape, of the oints also preventinginterference with. t 1e soi-kes should there be any lost motion laterally.

1 lieil'owthe' knives are located wheel clean. ers one for each wheel secured to the lowerte piece 56 of the knife frame support. These cleaners or scrapers are simi-Z lar in sl1'ape to the knives but have no ad- Jl'lStflblll'lWLbelng fixed rigidly to said tie so that the points ride against the the tops after they have been severe by the said knives.

Just forward "of the topping device are located duplicate'conveyers 57, 5.8, designed to carry the separated tops and beets laterall to either side of the machineils may be desired. The rear conveyor 57 is designed fo'rthe tops which -fall fromthe cleaners directly t 'ieieon, and the' beets after being severed dro upona 'etirved shield orapron 59: which "I eflects theni upo the forward conveyer- 58," a fender 60 preventing their being thrown ovr said ,convey'er. Each conveyer frame, is' composed of side boards '61 joined by areglocated rollers 63 over which less belt *ehains -64 to form :th'e; carriers thus removing more of the a floor plate 62.'- Ali-each end pass end-i to interfere with thefr'aine work by idlers on. The side bonrdslil rest upon the main frame and are free to be adjusted longyitudilmllv with reri'crence to each other and to the main frame by a pinion (Ki, keyed to a vertical shaft (37 and meshing with a l'ltth' (38 fixed to the lower edge of the opposing side pieces of the respective conveyers. 1: it said shaft-67 is supplied with a hand \v ieel (39 by means of which the conveyor ean bcshilted simultaneously in opposite directions.

Located in the median line beneath the mum frame is a shaft T0 journaled in name tie members 71,end provided with s rocketwheels 72, one of which is located eneath the floor of each conveyer and a round Wliit'h passes the slack of the chain 64. lponth'e rearend of the shaft 70" is mounteda beveled gear 73 which is adapted to 'meshwith similar gears H, 75, fixed to a sleeve 76. which is keyedgipon theiaxle of the driving wheels 11 so as to turn therewith but is adapted to slide longitudinally to alten nntely engage the pinions with the gear'Tb in the manner common in the art. The shifting of thissleeve is controlled by a rod 77 which passes under the main frame and is furnished with aiifo crating handle T8 placed at the left of the riversseat. At therearof the operating frame and attached theretov by a. supporting rod 79 is -a lcvelingiplow 80. \Vl1lCl1'1S designed to run just beneath the surface of the ground to make a clean and level path for the indrow of beets. The rod 79 is bentvto avoid interference, with the 1i'u1in" f1'a11iiewhen the inner frame is lowered and as the plow S0 is attached to 'lllllS' f1 t'lit=;o it will he? raised from the round or put in flCtlOllBtllilil-lltlneously with the digging mechanism; y In addition to .the cleaners 55., "still brushes 81, preierabl formed of steel wire, are permanently fixe' in the frame members 14, out are arranged at various anglesso that tiey xvi-ll'be adapted to engage the b-eetsasthey are elevated iron the vimpulin spikes n.n thus-'efiectua 1y reindvejeny a herin' soil; It wi be observed that when thefittmt iliary frame 'i's lowered to its operative-po sition it rests, upon the tie iecesTl and t-lin e this bodily movement of t 1e said" frn'lnelhas no action upon the gears 73,-74, endow; which may remain in mesh when the other mechanism is in inoperative positionlf w'lthe conveyersmmy be put out of operation however by placing the co-ntri'illing lever :imi s middleposition; 4. a v its? Instead of dropping; theibeets in r-ewe a'longfthe' grou'nd thegathered roots may be placed directly into a wagon driven alongside, the-machine tiy means of: the eleeating device illustrated in Fig. 8. The

l'orw'elvlrbnveyer 58 is fitted with a Sprocket lit them over the top of and t ey are -with a link belt chain 85, which is actuated by a sprocket 86 connected to the sprocket 82 by a chain 87. n

The 0 eration of the machine is as follows he auxiliar frame having been lowered to its operative position, a forwardmovement of the apparatus will cause the circular disks toenter the ground upon each side of a row of beets. The pick-up wheels will impale the loosened roots and carry the wheel until they meet the knives where the tops are severed and the roots and to s.fall into the r separate conveyers. If t e pinion 73 is in mesh with the right hand ear 74, theconveyor chains will carry the sets and tops to the right hand side of the machine and 1f the elevator is in position the beets Wlll be carried thereby and deposited in the accompanying wagon. If desired the elevator may be removed and the beets deposited in rows along the ground. The conveyers may be ad'usted laterally b the hand wheel 69, so relate that their ends will project at different distances from the machine, thus depositing their lead in separate rows. Upon the return trip the conveyers are thrust laterally from the opposite side of the frame and so adjusted that the roots and tops will fall upon the rows revionsly deposited. This arrangement wil perm t at least five rows to be placed in a single wlndrow after being harvested, thus facilitating their removal.

Beets 'vary greatly in size and so pro ect at different heights above the ground surface. For this reason the ick up wheels and their attachments are ree to reclprocate verticall in the uprights 23 as herein before descri ed and thus adjust themselves to the unevenness of the roots. 7

It is obvious that many changes may be made in the devices of my in disclosed without departin from the s irit and sec e thereof and I 0 not wish, tlierefore, to e limited to-the precise construction set forth.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, is

1. In a beet harvester, the combination with the frame,.of rotary disks adapted to loosen the soil about the roots, extractmfi means consisting of a wheel provided wit radial spikes, and means for automatically moving said wheel vertically.

2. In a beet harvester, the combination with the frame, of rotarydisks adapted to loosen the soil about the roots, extracting means consisting of a plurahty of whee provided with radiating sp kes, means for invention as here-.

automatically movin said wheel vertically, anda conveyer for t e extracted roots.

3. In a beet harvester, the combination with the frame of rotary disks inclined at an angle with the vertical plane, said disks being adapted to loosen the soil adjacent to the roots, extracting wheels adapted to be moved vertically, a series of spikes radiating from the faces of said wheels, means for removing the roots from said s ikes.

4.'In a beet harvester, t e combination with the frame, of rotary disks, having their planes inclined atan angle with the vertical plane, said disks being adapted to-pass beneath the row of beets, extracting wheels adapted to be moved vertically, a. series of vided with a plurality of points projecting radially from the face of said wheel.

6. A beet harvester, including means for loosening the soil about the beet roots, said means consisting of revoluble circular colters arran ed in pairs and havin their planes inclined at oppositeangles wit a vertical plane and extracting means consisting of im alin wheels.

7. n a eet harvester, the combination with the main frame, of an auxiliary frame, crank shafts supporting said auxiliar frame, revoluble disks adapted to loosen t e beets in the round, extracting means consisting of impailing wheels, and means for automatically raising and lowering said wheels.

8. In a beet harvester, the combination with the main frame. of an auxiliary frame supported upon crank shafts, revoluble disks having an angular position relatively to the vertical plane, said disks adapted to pass beneath the beet rows, extracting wheels having impaling means for enga ing and elevat-ing the roots, and means %or removing the roots from said impaling means.

9. In a beet harvester, the combination with the main frame, of an auxiliar frame supported upon crank shaft-s, revolu le cutting disks having inclined axes, and adapted to pass beneath the rows of beets, extracting means consisting of revoluble drums having their faces studded with radiating im aling s 'ikes, means for removing the engage beets m the impaling spikes, and a eonveyer for depositing the roots. out of the path of said extracting means.

10. Ina beet harvester the combination with the frame, of an elevating device for the beet roots, said device consistingof a wheel mounted upon a horizontal shaft, and having points projecting radially from its face. i

11. In a beet harvester, the combination with the frame, of means for loosening the soil about the plant roots, said means consisting of a pair of revoluble disks, arranged with their planes inclined at opposite angles with the vertical plane, means for raising and lowering said disks relatively to the said frame and extracting means consisting of impaling wheels.

12. I11 a 'beet harvester, the combination with the main frame, of an auxiliary frame adapted to be moved vertically, means for raising and lowerin said auxiliary frame, a series of colters or loosening the beets in the rows, extracting wheels revolubly mounted on a sliding frame carried by said auxiliary frame, and means for removing the beets from the extracting wheels.

13. In a beet harvester, the combination with the main frame, of an auxiliary frame adapted to be moved vertically, manually operated means for raising and lowering said auxiliary frame, a series of revoluble colters for loosening the roots, said colters consisting of cutting disks arranged to cooperate in pairs, and inclined so that their cutting ed es are approximated-below the beet row uring the operation of the machine, and means for extracting the loosened roots, said means consisting of impaling, wheels.

14. In a beet harvester, the combination with the main frame, of an auxiliary movabl'e frame manually operated means for cont-rolling the position of said auxiliary frame, cutting -disks carried on said auxiliary frame, said disks being adapted to pass beneath the beets to sever the top and side roots and loosen the soil, extracting wheels having radiating spikes adapted to impale the loosened beets, means for automatically raising and lowering said extractin wheels, and means for removingthe impa ed beets from the wheels.

15. In a beet harvester, the combination with the main frame, of an auxiliary movable frame, manually operated means for adjusting the height of said movable frame, inclined cutting disks carried on said movable frame and adapted to loosen the soil and sever the rootlets of the beets, extracting wheels mounted upon separate axles journaled in a sliding frame, said wheels having impaling pins projecting radially from their faces, and means for removing the adhering soil from the extracted roots.

16. In a beet harvester, the combination witlrthe main frame, of an auxiliary movable frame, crank shafts connecting the movable frame with the main frame, means for manually adjusting the position ofthe movable frame, inclined cutting disks havin their edges approximated at an angle wit each other and adapted to cut the top roots and loosen the soil about the beets, impaling wheels mounted upon separate axles, said axles being journaled in slidin supports carried by the said auxiliary rame the brushes arranged to engage the extracted beets while carried by ,the wheels, means for removing the beets from the impaling wheels, a conveyer for depositing the beets out of the path of said wheels, and means for leveling the ground to receive the deposited roots.

1?. In a beet harvester, the combination with a main frame, of extractin and elevating devices consisting of a p urality of wheels mounted to revolve on separate horizontal shafts and provided With pins projecting radially from their faces.

18. In a beet harvester the combination with a main frame, of an extracting and elevating device consisting of a wheel journaled in a slidable frame, said wheel having spikes projecting radially from its face.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

C. E. STEELE, JAMES CARROLL. 

